Operating room overhead gas service system and fixture therefor



Oct. 17, 1961 A. L. BUONACCORSI 3,004,777

1 OPERATING ROOM OVERHEAD GAS SERVICE SYSTEM AND FIXTURE THEREFOR Filed.Oct. 20, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 36 4! 42 V i z as, I 35 I k I 3 V 31 axe/r I T f INVENTOR. AL PHONSE L. BUONACCORS/ Z; aw qdmm A TTORNEYS Oct.17, 1961 A. BUONACCORSI 3,004,777

; OPERATING ROOM OVERHEAD GAS SERVICE SYSTEM AND FIXTURE THEREFOR Filed001;. 20, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALPHOWSE L. BUONACCORS/ ATTOPNEVS Oct. 17, 1961 A. BUONACCORSI 3,004,777

OPERATING ROOM OVERHEAD GAS SERVICE SYSTEM AND FIXTURE THEREFOR FiledOct. 20, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. ALPHONSE L. BUONACCORS/ A TTORNEVS Unit d This invention relates to and in general has for itsobject the provision of an operating room overhead gas service fixtureand system.

As is well known, various operations require the use of vacuum, surgicalair, nitrous oxide, and oxygen, all of which for the sake of conveniencewill hereinafter be referred to as gas.

Currently, a patient is supplied with such gases from a castor'edservice cabinet or anaesthetizing machine having detachable hoseconnections with a valved cabinet recessed in one of the Walls of theope-rating room. Connected to the service cabinet through suitablevalves mounted therein are hose sections provided at their free endswith suitable attachments by which any selected gas can be administeredto the patient by the surgeon or or an attendant.

Preliminary to performing an operation the surgeon designates thelocation of the service cabinet desired by him relative to the operatingtable, the latter being normally positioned centrally ofthe operatingroom.

Regardless of the location of the service cabinet which in all cases hasto be adjacent the operating table, the hoses extending between theservice cabinet and the wall cabinet obstruct the free passage aroundthe operating table and therefore create an inconvenient and hazardouscondition More specifically, the objects of this invention include theprovision of a gas service system and ceiling fixture therefor whereinthe required gases (including vacuum) from a valved wall cabinet arepiped through the walls and ceiling of an operating room to each of apair of spaced ceiling fixtures located above and to one side or theother of the operating table station or zone, and wherein selectivelycommunication between either of said fixturesand a castored servicecabinet located adjacent said operating table station can be establishedby suitable hose sections prior to the performance of an operation andas designated by the attending surgeon.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a ceiling fixturefor the purpose above described substantially free of dust catchingledges and surfaces and which can be easily installed.

This invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which,with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the followingdescription where those forms of the invention which have been selectedfor illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of thepresent specification, are outlined in full. In said drawings, one formof the invention is shown, but it is to be understood that it is notlimited to such form, since the invention as set forth in the claim maybe embodied in other forms.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical mid-section of a fixture embodying the objects ofmy invention and installed in the ceiling of an operating room.

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the section line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectiontaken on the section line 33 of FIG. 1showing the structure used within the ceiling for supporting my fixture.

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the section line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the section line 5--5 of FIG. 1,and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of an installation of my system in anoperating room.

The fixture illustrated in these various figures com prises acylindrical metal can 1 externally threaded at its upper end for thereception of a coupling collar 2. Welded to the upper end of the collar2 is a radially extending, annular flange 3 arranged to lie flush withthe lower face of a turred sub-ceiling 4.

Welded to the interior of the can 1, adjacent its lower end, are aplurality of lugs 5, and receivable over the lower end of the can is aperipherally grooved circular coverplate 6. Extending through the plate6 and having threaded engagement with the lugs 5 are machine screws 7.Extending through the coverplate 6 are four sections of tubing 8, eachthreaded at its lower end for the reception of lock nuts 9 and 11, oneon either side of the coverplate. i

Threaded into the lower end of each of the four tubing sections 8 is aconventional valved hose coupling member' 12 to which a complementaryhose coupling 13, connected to a hose section 14, can be quickly anddetachably secured and keyed. Each of the four pairs of mating couplings12 and 13 should be dilierently keyed so that the hose sections cannotbe interchanged accidentally. As is standard in coupling units of thischaracter, the attachment of one of the couplings 12 to its matingcoupling 13 opens the valve incorporated in the coupling 12 thereto toestablish communication between the corresponding tubing and hosesections 8 and 14. Although the coupling 12 has been shown in somedetail in FIG. 2, this is unessential, for couplings of this characterare purchasable on the open market and consequently are not now per sesubject to patent protection.

Overlying the sub-ceiling 4 in substantial vertical registration withthe can flange 3 is an annular ring 31, and extending through holesformed in the ceiling are a plurality of spacer nipples 32 of a lengthsubstantially equal to the thickness of the ceiling. Extending througheach of the spacer nipples 32 is a bolt 33 preferably provided at itslower end with an acorn type of head 34 and having a nut 35 threaded onits upper free end. As a result of this construction, the can 1 isfirmly clamped to the sub-ceiling 4.

Welded to the ring 31, preferably in symmetrical arrangement, are aplurality of suspensions or straps 36, each provided at its upper endwith an outwardly extending flange 37 arranged to be secured as by bolts38 to a concrete ceiling slab 39 or to ceiling joists, depending uponthe particular type building construction involved. It will therefore beseen that although the can 1 is attached to the furred sub-ceiling 4,its load is preferably carried by the ceiling proper through thesuspension or hanger straps 36.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, and diagrammatically indicated in FIG. 6, eachof the four tubing sections 8 communicates through a suitable elbow 41and piping 42 located between the sub-ceiling 4 and ceiling slab 39 andwithin the walls 43 of an operating room generally designated by thereference numeral 44, with one of four manually operated valves (notshown) located with a cabinet 45 recessed within one of the walls 43.The four valves respectively communicate with a suitable source ofnitrous oxide, surgical air, vacuum, and oxygen.

Illustrated in FIG. 6 is a typical layout of an operating roomincorporating the objects of my invention, wherein an operating table 46is located substantially centrally of the room so as to be accessiblefrom all sides thereof. Suspended from the ceiling above the table 46 isa lighting fixture 47 laterally movable over the closed path 48.Conveniently located adjacent the table 46 is a service a 3 cabinet oranaesthetizing machine 49. Provided in the machine 49 in accordance withcurrent practice are four valves arranged to be detachably connected tothe lower ends of the hose sections 14 by keyed couplers. V

Mounted in the ceiling 4 above and to one side ofthe closed path 48 isone of the fixtures or cans 1 above referred to, and similarly mountedin the ceiling at a diametrically opposed point is another identicalfixture in, both fixtures being piped as above described to the wallcabinet 45. Upon the designation of the desired location of theanaesthetizing machine 49 by the attending surgeon prior to anoperation, communication between the valves of the machine 49 and thenearest fixture 1 is established by the depending hose sections 14. rConnected to the outer side of each of the four valves of the machine 49are gas administering hose sections 51 of sufficient length to reach thepatientbeing operated upon, and provided on their free ends withsuitable attachments for this purpose.

The installation above described is preferably made during theconstruction of the operating room so that all piping can be concealedand so that the operating room will be as free as possible of allsurfaces and ledges on which dust can accumulate. For the same reason,the design of the can 1 and all exposed associated parts thereof shouldbe such as to avoid dust-gathering surfaces, ledges, and shoulders.

, As a result of this system, it will be seen that vacuum or gases canbe made available at anaesthetizing machine 49 through the medium of thedepending hose sections 14, the tubing sections 8 of either of the cans1, the piping connecting the tubing sections 8 with the recessed wallcabinet 45 and the valves of the wall cabinet, and that consequently aclear passageway around the operating table can be maintained.

} After the valves of the anaesthetizing table have been connected withthe selected ceiling fixture or can 1, all

.of the valves in the wall cabinet '45 are opened, thereby tomaticallyopened when the coupling 13, matingwith the coupling 12, is coupledthereto, this being a feature inherent in couplings of this character.

Although each of the couplings is labeled with the name of the gas whichpasses through, this is not necessary, for all couplings used areselectively keyed so as to make it impossible to cross-connect thevalves of the 'anaesthetizing machine with the couplings 12.

- I claim:

-An operating room overhead service fixture arranged to be secured to aceiling and comprising: a. hollowcylinder externally threaded at itsupper end; an internally threaded coupling collar threaded to the'upperend of said cylinder, the upper end of said collar being provided with alaterally extending annular flange arranged to lie fiush with the lowerface of said ceiling; a plurality of lugs secured to and withinsaidcylinder adjacent the lower end thereof; a plurality of conduitsextending longitudinally through said cylinder; a platearranged to closethe lower end of said cylinder;means for securing the lower ends of saidconduits to said plate; means for securing said plate to said lugs insealing engagement with the lower end of said cylinder; and hoseadapters mounted on the lower ends of said conduits beneath said plate.

References (Ii-ted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,045,256 Carman Nov. 26, 1912 1,126,362 Bissell Jan. 26, 1915 1,197,644Lutz Sept. 12, 1916 1,268,978 Kinnear June 11, 1918 1,863,930 McKessonJune 21, 1932 2,628,850 Summerville Feb. 17, 1953 2,738,991 Rieser Mar.20, 1956 2,760,791 Neubauer et al. Aug. 28, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 302,078Germany Nov. 30, 1917 812,578 France Feb. 8, 1937 OTHER REFERENCESAnesthetic Appliances, Toledo, Technical Appliance Co. Catalog No. 12,1924.

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